French Laundry-inspired chef launches gluten-free flour line

When a diner burst into tears in the middle of the French Laundry dining room in Yountville, Thomas Keller and Lena Kwak were utterly charmed. The gluten-allergic guest had just tasted her first piece of bread in seven years -- and it was thanks to Kwak, the restaurant's research development chef.

The wheat flour-substitute that made the bread so memorable is now available in stores, and Kwak and her 2-year-old company, Cup4Cup, have been honored with prizes and accolades, including a Martha Stewart American Made award this past fall and a place on Forbes' "30 Under 30: Food and Wine" notables list.

Lena Kwak creator of Cup4Cup flour has her photograph made with Chef Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in Yountville at the 2013 Fancy Food Show held at Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif. on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013. (Susan Tripp Pollard/Staff)
(
SUSAN TRIPP POLLARD
)

With Keller's backing, New York-born Kwak's company went national in 2011, sending bags of the gluten-free flour to Williams-Sonoma stores. A pizza crust mix has just been added, and a pancake-waffle combination is set to launch in April. Not bad for a 27-year-old private chef who essentially created her own job at one of the nation's most famous restaurants.

Naturally, we had questions.

Q Wait a second -- you created your own job at French Laundry?

A It's always been my motto: It never hurts to ask. I'd proposed a new job as research development chef in 2008. A lot of people were coming with dietary restrictions, so it was to address the larger food allergens (and issues) coming in -- sugar-free, vegans, celiacs. It never hurts to ask, and look what has happened.

Advertisement

Q So you started doing bread at French Laundry?

A We were seeing an increasing number of guests coming in with gluten-free (needs). Chef asked me to recreate the canapes -- the classic gougeres and cornets are the only thing on the menu that stays constant day to day -- and we were doing bread service. The reaction to the bread was so strong and powerful. People were crying. That was really touching. I sat down with chef and told him the story. It really resonated -- how do we share this with the world?

Q What happened next?

A We were not trying to create the best gluten-free flour. Our gold standard was really wheat -- and creating something where the flavor, texture, performance matched wheat flour. It's incredible how chef Keller has mentored me. Even as a chef, he's such an intuitive businessman. In this process, I've been taken away outside the kitchen and force-fed an MBA, you know? I've always wanted to get one -- and will eventually -- but it's been a crash course. That's really been the greatest part about this, being thrown into a situation and adapting.

Q Do you have gluten allergies yourself?

A I'm not a celiac, but I probably don't eat that much wheat anymore. I think people are becoming more aware of what they're eating and how their bodies react to it. There was a time when the era was about indulgence and luxury and eating rich foods. It's a very American idea that a lot more is better. Now there's an awareness that too much of anything is a bad thing.

Q Now you've added a pizza crust mix to the line?

A And we're releasing a pancake-waffle mix in April. Yeah, it's the whole idea: You're trying to recreate someone's memory, the nostalgic foods they might not be able to have. A lot of people affected are children. To have a slice of pizza or pancakes or waffles and share it with their whole family, without anyone feeling left out -- it's important to eat off the same plate and share together.

Where to find it

Cup4Cup mimics wheat flour with a mixture of cornstarch, white and brown rice flour, milk powder, tapioca flour, potato starch and xanthan gum. Find both the flour ($19.95 for a 3-pound bag) and the pizza crust mix ($14.95) at Williams-Sonoma, Draeger's, Andronico's, some Whole Foods and other markets. For details, go to www.cup4cup.com.

Missy Franklin, Jenny Simpson, Adeline Gray and three other Colorado women could be big players at the 2016 Rio OlympicsWhen people ask Missy Franklin for her thoughts about the Summer Olympics that will begin a year from Wednesday in Rio de Janeiro, she hangs a warning label on her answer.